About 9 years ago I was having brekfast with a friend who said that a fellow nurse his wife knew for 20 years wanted to sell some of the guns she had One of the guns turned out to be a Springfield 50/70 2ND Allin Conversion. My friend told me she said it belonged to a great uncle of hers that was in the army in the 1800's and that he was awarded a citation for bravery. Upon examining the rifle it showed hard use but not abuse. I thought well this is an infantry mans rifle and not a cavalry carbine. So after a month or so I agreed to buy the rifle for $800.
While my friend was on the phone to her I asked btw what was the great uncles name. She told my friend Sadler Otto Voit. Later when I got home I thought hmmm there was only one medal the US gave out beofre WW1 and that was the Medal of Honor. So I went on the net and looked up the list of Medal of Honor winners. Sure enough there was Otto Voit, he was awarded the MH for bravery at the Battle of the Little Big Horn. I then looked up the 7th Cavalry and found he was a member of Captain Benteens company H. Otto Voit was one of the four sharpeshooter that kept the Indians busy while 24 members went down and got water during the Defensive fight on the bluffs over looking the LBH.
Otto Voit joined the 7th Cav upon its formation in 1866, was at the Wasita, Yellow Stone Expedition, Black Hills Expedition, Little Big horn, Canyon Creek (Nez Pierce) and White Clay Creek (Wounded Knee) and finally beofre he retired from the 7th chasing renegade Apaches in AZ. Otto Voit passed away in Louisville KY in 1906. His obit said that he was hit by a spent bullet at the Little Big Horn but was not injured (this is new historical info) He is listed as being among the wounded at the LBH.
From doing research on Voit and the 7th Cav at the LBH, according to Windrolph (another of the 4 shrpsshooter and MH winner) ther were 14 members of the 7th that accompied Benteen and Godfrey to view the Custer massacre site. I believe Voit was one of the 14 troopers that went with Benteen.
In my research on Voit I have contacted the NPS at the LBH and a picture of Voits rrifle is now in their archives. Further I have contacted Glenwood Swanson and Harmon who do the forensic testing on rifles to identify rifles that were present at the LBH. Their thoughts which were independent of mine was that the rifle I have might have belonged to Captain French who was known to have a Big 50 Springfield at the LBH. Unfornately at this time they could not match a cartridge from the Voit rifle to one that was found at the LBH.
So where Voit got and used the rifle remains a mystery? As I stated the rifle shows hard frontier use but not abuse. Most likely Voit used it while off duty to hunt with as it was a popular Buffalo rifle during the 1870's. If one did not know its history one would just think it is another $200 wall hanger.
While my friend was on the phone to her I asked btw what was the great uncles name. She told my friend Sadler Otto Voit. Later when I got home I thought hmmm there was only one medal the US gave out beofre WW1 and that was the Medal of Honor. So I went on the net and looked up the list of Medal of Honor winners. Sure enough there was Otto Voit, he was awarded the MH for bravery at the Battle of the Little Big Horn. I then looked up the 7th Cavalry and found he was a member of Captain Benteens company H. Otto Voit was one of the four sharpeshooter that kept the Indians busy while 24 members went down and got water during the Defensive fight on the bluffs over looking the LBH.
Otto Voit joined the 7th Cav upon its formation in 1866, was at the Wasita, Yellow Stone Expedition, Black Hills Expedition, Little Big horn, Canyon Creek (Nez Pierce) and White Clay Creek (Wounded Knee) and finally beofre he retired from the 7th chasing renegade Apaches in AZ. Otto Voit passed away in Louisville KY in 1906. His obit said that he was hit by a spent bullet at the Little Big Horn but was not injured (this is new historical info) He is listed as being among the wounded at the LBH.
From doing research on Voit and the 7th Cav at the LBH, according to Windrolph (another of the 4 shrpsshooter and MH winner) ther were 14 members of the 7th that accompied Benteen and Godfrey to view the Custer massacre site. I believe Voit was one of the 14 troopers that went with Benteen.
In my research on Voit I have contacted the NPS at the LBH and a picture of Voits rrifle is now in their archives. Further I have contacted Glenwood Swanson and Harmon who do the forensic testing on rifles to identify rifles that were present at the LBH. Their thoughts which were independent of mine was that the rifle I have might have belonged to Captain French who was known to have a Big 50 Springfield at the LBH. Unfornately at this time they could not match a cartridge from the Voit rifle to one that was found at the LBH.
So where Voit got and used the rifle remains a mystery? As I stated the rifle shows hard frontier use but not abuse. Most likely Voit used it while off duty to hunt with as it was a popular Buffalo rifle during the 1870's. If one did not know its history one would just think it is another $200 wall hanger.
Last edited:
